1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processor and an image processing method. Based on an image picked up by an image pickup part, the image processor and the image processing method can recognize a peripheral object and sense a distance to the peripheral object.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally known technology includes a camera which is set in a vehicle. The camera picks up a peripheral image of the vehicle. Based on the thus picked up image, the conventional technology senses a peripheral object and a distance to the peripheral object. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-169251 (=JP2003169251) {having family including U.S. Pat. No. 6,858,827 (B2) and US2003052252 (A)} discloses a technology which alternately repeats i) irradiating an image pickup area of the camera and ii) non-irradiating the same, thus 1) sensing a peripheral object based on an image (object sensing image) obtained during the non-irradiating and 2) calculating a distance to the peripheral object based on an image (distance sensing image) obtained during the irradiating.
However, the conventional technology in JP2003169251 for alternately obtaining the object sensing image and the distance sensing image, as the case may be, fails to serially sense the peripheral object. Therefore, the conventional technology, as the case may be, erroneously senses (recognizes) an object as a different object even when the thus sensed (recognized) object is the same object.